Federal Planner for Pandemic Flu to Speak at UAMS

By todd

Feb. 21, 2006 |

LITTLE ROCK – How a pandemic flu virus could disrupt the economy will be addressed by William Kassler, M.D., of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention during a March 7 forum at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS).

The presentation, free and open to the public, is part of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock (UALR) Business Forum. “Pandemic Influenza: How Sick Might Business Be?” will be from 4:30 p.m. to 5:45 p.m. in the Fred W. Smith Auditorium, Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute on the UAMS campus. Guests are asked to arrive on campus by 4:10 p.m. Parking is available in the Outpatient Parking Deck.

Kassler, senior adviser in the CoordinatingCenter for Health and Information Services at the CDC, has had a leading role at CDC in planning for a pandemic influenza and working with groups that would be affected.

Kassler, who also has a master’s degree in public health, is a former state medical director for New Hampshire and has served as a medical epidemiologist for the CDC. He has held teaching appointments at EmoryUniversity and DartmouthMedicalSchool and is a primary care physician at the VeteransAdministrationMedicalCenter.

UAMS is the state’s only comprehensive academic health center, with five colleges, a graduate school, a medical center, five centers of excellence and a statewide network of regional centers.UAMS has about 2,320students and 690 residents and is one of the state’s largest public employers with almost 9,000employees. UAMS and its affiliates have an economic impact in Arkansas of $4.3billion a year. UAMS centers of excellence are the ArkansasCancerResearchCenter, Harvey and Bernice Jones Eye Institute, Donald W. Reynolds Institute on Aging, Myeloma Institute for Research and Therapy and Jackson T. Stephens Spine & Neurosciences Institute.